As data communication networks have proliferated, the need has arisen for tools with which the functionality and performance of such data communication networks may be analyzed. Many conventional network traffic analysis tools were originally developed at a time when data communication networks were much simpler and slower than they are today. These networks were sufficiently low performance that even relatively inefficient and inflexible network traffic analysis tools were able to provide adequate performance.
However, even with such simpler and slower networks, many network traffic analysis tools were unable to handle all of the data on the network and so dropped packets of network traffic. This leads to a reduction in the accuracy of these conventional network traffic analysis tools. With modern, high performance networks, conventional network traffic analysis tools no longer provide adequate performance. Thus, a need arises for a network traffic analysis tool that can provide improved performance with modern, high performance networks.
In addition, conventional network traffic analysis tools provide only limited flexibility in terms of the types and configurations of network traffic analysis that can be performed. For example, with conventional network traffic analysis tool the level of analysis and the selection of protocols is relatively rigid and inflexible in that it is determined for the most part at compile-time, not at run-time. Conventional network traffic analysis tools do not provide dynamic modification of the behavior of the system at run-time. In addition, the selection of protocols that are analyzed is very limited (all or nothing) and the level/type of analysis detail is also very limited (all or nothing).
A need arises for a network traffic analysis tool that provides improved performance with modern, high performance networks and that provides flexibility in terms of the types and configurations of network traffic analysis that can be performed.